May 2005 Sales Figures: Marvel Thumps DC

[Michel Weisnor]

http://www.newsarama.com/marketreport/may07sales.html

I believe this sales trend will continue. Marvel has generated high numbers due to high profile minis with monthly title integration. As an example, I just read World War Hulk #1. Marvel lists a checklist of all titles relevant to WWH in sequential order with previews. On the other hand, DC's Countdown is all over the place in monthly titles. Time is broken is no longer an excuse. DC should start numbering the order of this series a la Superman triangle titles.

Another glaring quirk with Countdown is the History of the Multiverse backup. DC would benefit from adding annotations. When E-1 Barry Allen crosses paths with E-2 Jay Garrick, the annotation should tell the reader they first met in Flash v1 #123. What issue did the Anti-Matter Man battle the Justice League and Justice Society? DC is not telling. Plus, DC should include a reading list of Crisis collected trades. Get readers interested in past writings as well as new.

[Uncle Mxy]

I'm surprised Buffy's out of the top 10.

[Permanus]

Good point, Michel. Marvel seems to be delivering their attention-getters in quick, sharp jabs - Civil War hotly followed by the Death of Captain America hotly followed by World War Hulk and now a bunch of Skrulls - while DC gets mired in these long, meandering tirades that are only confusing. Crisis, 52 and Countdown are a bit like watching an elderly relative getting tipsy at a family gathering and embarking on his recollections of the war. Dramatically, Marvel has brought it off a lot smoother.

I still think both companies are biting off more than they can chew with all this. They're glutting the market again, and it will end up in readers losing interest. A lot of people simply can't afford to buy all these titles, so they'll figure that they might as well drop the whole business. (It's a complicated enterprise too: in the comics shop I go to, I've seen more and more customers walking around with spreadsheets while making their purchases, what's up with that?)

[DBN]

I still think both companies are biting off more than they can chew with all this. They're glutting the market again, and it will end up in readers losing interest. A lot of people simply can't afford to buy all these titles, so they'll figure that they might as well drop the whole business. (It's a complicated enterprise too: in the comics shop I go to, I've seen more and more customers walking around with spreadsheets while making their purchases, what's up with that?)
Posted on: Yesterday at 10:54:31 PMPosted by: Uncle 

Yup, at this point comics are nothing more than a niche market with a limited fanbase. One thing the two companies need to do (and this has been said before) is look at why Manga is so bloody popular.

[JulianPerez]

I'm not surprised.

Though I thought CIVIL WAR's execution was very, very off (would Hank Pym, considering his chequered record, REALLY agree to help clone his friend Thor?) in concept it was actually very exciting because there was a sense that as a consequence of this miniseries, the Marvel Universe would be very different as a result. And there is something undeniably exciting about this.

Ideally, every story should have the sense that things can shift at a moment's notice that CIVIL WAR had.

Yup, at this point comics are nothing more than a niche market with a limited fanbase. One thing the two companies need to do (and this has been said before) is look at why Manga is so bloody popular.

Teenaged girls that seldom bathe?

[DBN]

Teenaged girls that seldom bathe?

More of the format, marketing, and sales approach. Given that the comic audience has shrunk from what used to be millions to the pathetic figure of a few hundred thousand today.

[Michel Weisnor]

Teenaged girls that seldom bathe?

More of the format, marketing, and sales approach. Given that the comic audience has shrunk from what used to be millions to the pathetic figure of a few hundred thousand today.

Manga also appeals to a younger audience and a relatively female one. When was the last time you could say that about Marvel or DC? No offense to the 30+ crowd, I believe a younger audience is a necessity to continue comics into the 21st century. For that to occur, one company is going to have to take a chance.

In regards to DC, are current inconsistencies due to poor editorial decisions or a changing market? 

[DBN]

In regards to DC, are current inconsistencies due to poor editorial decisions or a changing market? 

These sales figures are due to Marvel's current crossover-related series. Previous months (and years) have largely had Marvel with a 40% market share and DC with a 30% share. Even so, the overall readership has largely remained the same with little or no increase.

However, there was a significant event a month or so ago when trade sales exceeded single issue sales.

This will continue as long as the direct market, the slavish devotion to the outdated 22-page format, and the complete ignorance towards intraweb e-comics remains in place.